Squalls and Sweat
Latest Position 19 August 08 0436UTC: 7.28S, 167.14E
The wind lightened today to about 8 knots. I try not to be annoyed because I know that I've had great weather all-in-all. I still have a lot of squalls everyday. They are more of an annoyance than anything else. They do keep me clean. I get soaked everytime a squall passes which is good during the day but at night it is hard to go back to sleep after a squall because I am wet and cold. I have been drinking tons of rain water. Our friends the Nashes gave me a wide-mouthed water bottle before I left and I use that to catch water everytime a squall comes. It has been great for drinking between squalls because the water I catch off the sails tastes like sails somehow.
I have had a fast afternoon. For some reason I am going in the mid 7s. (7 knots) It must be a current or something. From time to time I get a wave right over the boat. It comes from the beam (side) and must be that the boat is in a trough and healing slightly but I can hear these big guys coming because there is a roaring sound. I can hear them breaking as well. I now call them 3 hour waves because I get one about every 3 hours. I have been eating pretty well but there isn't much that interests me. The Makwon from Majuro is great. It tastes like dried fruit with a mango and bubblegum flavor. It is really hearty though and gives good energy.
Chris on Moana and I have been talking a lot on the radio net. When we first head out we only talk for 15-20 minutes but now that we are out for so long we talk for an hour. We mostly talk about food and wind. It helps a lot to know that they are out there too and ging through many of the same things.
I don't have an ETA or an address for Darwin yet. I am trying to get rested and well fed before my passgae through the Torres Straights. Once through there I'll be able to know better when I'll arrive. I will have to stop posting my position soon for a time while I pass certain areas. I will keep track and post them when I am in a more secure area.
Thanks for your support!
Cheers,
Zac
The wind lightened today to about 8 knots. I try not to be annoyed because I know that I've had great weather all-in-all. I still have a lot of squalls everyday. They are more of an annoyance than anything else. They do keep me clean. I get soaked everytime a squall passes which is good during the day but at night it is hard to go back to sleep after a squall because I am wet and cold. I have been drinking tons of rain water. Our friends the Nashes gave me a wide-mouthed water bottle before I left and I use that to catch water everytime a squall comes. It has been great for drinking between squalls because the water I catch off the sails tastes like sails somehow.
I have had a fast afternoon. For some reason I am going in the mid 7s. (7 knots) It must be a current or something. From time to time I get a wave right over the boat. It comes from the beam (side) and must be that the boat is in a trough and healing slightly but I can hear these big guys coming because there is a roaring sound. I can hear them breaking as well. I now call them 3 hour waves because I get one about every 3 hours. I have been eating pretty well but there isn't much that interests me. The Makwon from Majuro is great. It tastes like dried fruit with a mango and bubblegum flavor. It is really hearty though and gives good energy.
Chris on Moana and I have been talking a lot on the radio net. When we first head out we only talk for 15-20 minutes but now that we are out for so long we talk for an hour. We mostly talk about food and wind. It helps a lot to know that they are out there too and ging through many of the same things.
I don't have an ETA or an address for Darwin yet. I am trying to get rested and well fed before my passgae through the Torres Straights. Once through there I'll be able to know better when I'll arrive. I will have to stop posting my position soon for a time while I pass certain areas. I will keep track and post them when I am in a more secure area.
Thanks for your support!
Cheers,
Zac
posted by Zac at
9:41 PM
43 Comments:
Zac regarding your Rain "sail" Water. On your next stop pick up some of those thin packets of crystal light to mix in. That way you'll get some vitamin C, and you'll have a little sugar in your system to give you more energy and lemon or strawberry taste better than Sails. Hang tough my brother. You are doing great. I know those rollers must feel like monsters in your small boat. That will just make you appreciate your brand new Jeneau 52 someday right ? God bless and onto Darwin. Crazy to think that you are almost out of our beloved Pacifc. You are making great time.!
Chris Carnaghi, Alhambra, CA
Good to hear from you Zac, love your posts, they really do help me and I’m sure many other Ocean-Crossing sailors touch our memories of past trips and crossings… Amen to you for making these past memories seem like today through your words on the blog…
In particular, your “3 hour wave” reminded me of how, when you’re offshore for days, there becomes this awareness of the rhythm of EVERYTHING and we just don’t feel, notice, or sense these things on land in our day to day lives with all the noise around us with the events of our everyday life…
Good luck in the Torres, it’s awful close to PNG (80nm to 50nm) and I have friends in Bali and NSW Aust. that tell me the PNG people are either really really nice, or really really dangerous, not much in-between.
Be safe for what’s on top of the sea and juuuuuust below the hull…
Daveh & Skipper…
I really enjoyed your post today, especially since the site was down yesterday.
Your description of the majown was so good that I could almost taste it myself.
It is a good thing that you do have the SPAM, since you are sweating so much. I think I recall my husband saying something about receiving salt tablets whenever they sailed near the equator. Sweating so much will give you a salt deficiency and can cause muscle cramping. (This happens to my husband often, since I am anti-sodium), but because he perspires alot, he needs more salt than I. Please keep this in mind. You don't want to need to reef and suddenly wind up with an arm cramp.
It sounds like you are staying sufficiently hydrated with all the rain. Great.
Please stay safe.
Linda and Bill
Washington DC
Zac, I am curious why you are concerned about posting your current postion. Continued good luck!!
Not to be obtuse, but could you more exactly detail where the "Torres Straights" are? Not in such a way as to endanger yourself, certainly, but because it doesn't bring anything up at Wikipedia and Google Earth is confused about it, too.
You're crankin'!
Thanks for the description of the makwon, Zac. I was hoping it would be tasty so you could get its benefits without too much suffering.
I am glad that you mentioned you will be withholding position info as you start to head west. It is very unfortunate that you need to, but of all the threats you face day to day, the one I worry personally about the most is the threat from other humans. I just get the sense you can handle most anything nature throws your way, but the "Bad People" out there are a different matter. Stay safe and take all precautions I'm sure you've been advised to take.
Cheers, to you and all...
willy
milford, ohio
For Elizabeth/USA:
try "Torres Straits" - the correct spelling of the location
Socks!! Be sure when you head into the colder climates you have enough. You talked about Intrepid smelling like sweat and that reminded me of somethimg that happened to me on my last trip home from Hawaii. I had spent a year in the warm climate and never wore anything but flip flop sandles because of the heat. When I headed home I only had a couple pair of socks on board the boat. I had to sail far north to get around the Pacific high and it got cold. I got cold. I went through the socks in a hurry. It was to wet and stormy to get washed socks to dry so I started wearing my sea boots without socks on. By the time I got home no locker room in the world smelled worse than my boat.
Rusty
ZAC NOT POSTING CURRENT POSITION
Most likely reason is he's going into more dangerous waters, re: unwanted and unpleasant visitors, so why let the world of that group know EXACTLY where you are!
They would just plug in lat-lon, top off the fuel tanks, take a few jerry cans of fuel and head out to sea to harass Zac or worse.
We'll leave it at that... Safety and Security are more important than us right now tracking his exact position...
My $0.02
Daveh & Skipper
Torres Straits...
The narrow passage between N. Australia and PNG (Pappa New Guinea).
It's dangerous for two reasons.
One - It's littered with Islands and shoals (sand-bars that are sometimes just below the surface)
Two - The sometimes not so friendly PNG bandits...
Regards,
Daveh
Link for Torres Straits
http://encarta.msn.com/map_701517148/torres_strait.html
To Elizabeth:
I fear there may be a flood of replies, but what the heck... The Torres Strait is a stretch of water between Australia and Papua New Guinea. I suspect the difficulty you hit was in your spelling:
http://tinyurl.com/5pden6
(this links to the wiki article)
Hey Zac,Glad to see the site it operational again. I did a little "sleuthing" and was able to read your blog on the Clearpoint Weather website which was great even though I couldn't post an entry. Not a big deal as I was just happy to hear from you.PLEASE do not worry about blogging as you traverse the Torres Strait. You need to be keenly aware of your surroundings at all times due to their treacherous nature. I'm sure your mom won't mind doing some posting for you.In the meantime get lots of protein, rest when you can, stay hydrated and take those anti-malarials! Praying for you daily.To Elizabeth: go to Google and put in "Torres Strait" (not straights). Wikipedia actually does have some good maps and information on the area which is very shallow, full of reefs and small islands that make navigating through them extrememly difficult. Hope this info is helpful to you. In addition to the Wikipedia info there are many other sites you can visit to get more info.Melanie in Torrance
zac -- it was great to catch up on your last several blogs. you do a great job of keeping it all very interesting. keep fishin, keep drinkin water and stay strong. you remain in our thoughts and prayers.
john baker/w hollywood/ca/USofA
jbaker1226@aol.com
As for Torres Straits, do some navigators drop anchor at night and navigate during daylight hours? Or, does Zac have gear on board to forewarn of shallow areas?
ZAC -- STAY SAFE AND WARM.
RDH: CALIFORNIA
Hello Zac & Everyone,
I never knew rain water off a sail could taste like sail water. At least you have plenty of water but I'm sure getting soaked in the middle of the night isn't much fun.
Thank goodness you received that Makwon in Majuro. The mango bubblegum flavor sound interesting. Enjoy your time on the radio since you have the same interests. One hour instead of 15 or 20 minutes sounds great. Just think on land we all use our business lines and cell phones way more than that every single day. I must spend about three hours per day on the phone so enjoy your time talking with Chris on the radio.
We totally understand you not posting your exact location. Please don't feel bad because the most important thing right now is your safety. Nothing else matters but your safety and I'm sure everyone will understand this "hopefully".
Take Care,
Douglas Pistone
MDR, California
Zac,
I have been following your trip/adventure since you started. I wish I could have done something like that when I was young. Have a safe trip thru the Torres Straits and I realize why you won't be posting your location. When you have time I have some questions I would like an answer to. How do you keep from getting bored or lonely? I know you communicate with other boats and have some communication via email but that is not 24/7. To be out there all alone is no doubt trying at times. The other questions will be for a later date! Be Safe!
Tejano
TO MARK SIMS SIMI VALEY QUESTION RE: CHARTS, DROPPING ANCHOR, ETC.
Not that I want to reply directly for Zac, because I don't know for sure...
I am sure that Zac has a great chart plotter (I think I remember a C80) which is a Raymarine color chart plotter with many reasonably advanced features.
I would suspect that he has charting software on his laptop, I use Nobeltech VNS Max Pro, with World Folio charts.
I'm sure he also has paper charts...
With all that though... the best thing are what's called "cruising guides"... These are books with specific tips, do's don't's and best off, the often given recommended legs start/stop points which allow you to go in a reasonably straight line for the longest and safest period of time.
I do remember a blog entry about someone I think who wrote a book for the Torres Straits and N. Austalia area, so I suspect Zac not only has the book, but a sat phone tip now and then too.
I don't think Zac will drop anchor unless is a good refuge location and he really needs the rest, which he might do, not sure...
I think this is a pretty accurate response, hope it helps...
Dave
My Torres Strait link earlier had the ".html" truncated for some reason, here it is again...
Sorry
Daveh
http://encarta.msn.com/map_701517148/torres_strait.html
Hi Zac.
You are doing great. Even thou I go on withdrawl not having my Zac Blog up to date in the morning - savety comes first. I was thinking when you stop posting your position. Looks like we have some recliner sailors around here which don't know about Torres Streight. I am sure you will handle that situation as good as everything before.
If I don't get a position I usually ad 100 miles to the last known position every day - that gives me a rough idea where you are at.
I found the tide tables for that area but can't find any info on the current/direction (depending on the tide) you have to fight. Maybe somebody can help with a link.
Looking forward to hear from you when you hit the next port. I am sure your mom will not let us in the dark :-)
Take care
Axel
heye@madisoncounty.net
Zac-
Just curious, I read you received the fishing gear in the mail, but did you receive the slamon jerky and t-shirt from Alaska? Good sailing and keep hydrated.....
Kodiak Mike
to Elizabeth / USA: I think it's spelled Torres Straits...
Be careful, Zac! I read unpleasant things about PNG.
Hi, Zac. For some reason I couldn't get on all day yesterday. Hmmm.....
Glad to hear that things are going well. Sounds like you're really getting drenched (figuratively). That's good for your daily showers and washing the boat off.......and fresh, pure water to drink.
Doing great.
Scott
P.S. Love the t-shirt! Thanks for everything!
Hiya Zac!
Sounds like you are going along just fine!
My race day was great, crewed on a Cal28, we did "OK". Winds were good, about 10-12 knots, Sailed a "M" course. Afterwards some of us took off for a nice sail down the lake, awesome wind, nice sunshine. We talked alot about your adventure and offered up good thoughts!!
You'll be right mate! Be safe and know that the Zac Pac is behind you with prayers and well wishes.
God Speed
Anita
Waterloo, NY
USA!!
Zac, Could you drop your radar reflector until clear of Torres? This would probably reduce your detection distance.
Good Luck,
Peter Mercer Canada
To Axel from madisoncounty.net
Axel, I hope you are not referring to my posts and contributions on this blog as me being an "armchair" sailor...
Feel free to eMail me at dhickson@msn.com if you would like to discuss, or even speak with me personally.
However, in the interest of all of us enjoying this experience that Zac, Marriane and Laurence have invited into, I have posted some Ocean Current Images at:
www.temphost100.com
Daveh
Hi Zac! :)
your updates make a fascinating read, and I do hope that your voyage continues to be a safe and very rewarding experience for you.
An ordinary guy from here in the UK sends his heartfelt best wishes for the incredible journey which lies ahead of you, keep fishin', and above all else, stay happy! :)
zac,
good to hear that things are realativly normal! that fruit must really travel well to still be good. stay safe from those pirates....
keep at it bro!
Will
Daveh, thanks for the comment and reassuring information. Zac has the experience, but comforting knowledge helps with inexperienced mariners like me. :)
Hi Zac...I follow your blog every day and occasionally plot the lat-long to pin-point your location.
I have a question for you...what would you estimate the height of the biggest swells you have seen thus far?
Thanks,
Sam, NC
You're doing great Zac, sounds like your electrical problems have been solved, hope it stays that way.
For the Zac Pac: use Google Earth to guesstimate where Zac might be once he stops publishing his position. You'll also learn more about the geography of the area he's traveling thru. Under 'View' in Google Earth you can toggle 'Sun' to see if his area is night or day or in twilight.
Fair winds Zac,
Steve in OC
Zac,
sounds like the good weather is traveling with you for the time. hope you get some good sleep. Being sleep deprived is hard, but you almost get used to it after a while, tired in the morning, but you wake up fast. just like school! wake at 6. school, sports, home work. dinner, more home work then bed at any time from 10-12.i can only hope and pray you get more sleep now than i do during school. and if the loss of sleep gets you a bit upset think of it as collage prep! hope you don't run into many problems in the Torres.
prayers and thoughts,
Taylorm, 13.
I'm flying the Jolly Rodger upside down!
daveh,
Chill a little. You hardly sound "armchair" to me!
Hi There Zac,
Hey Captn' Zac, man you are flying! Sure beats sitting still.
Rusty is right, socks are a must! Be sure to have Wool Socks and a Wool stocking cap for heading into cooler climates. Wool is best for drying quickly and for the ability to provide warmth even when wet. Remember when your head is cold the rest of you will be cold, therefore the Wool stocking cap. Plus you loose more of your body heat through your uncovered head. And if you keep your woolies dry, you can just towell off when you get back inside and slip back into your dry ones.
Hey a mango/banana smoothie sure sounds good....
Keep up the great progress. It will not be that long until you are getting closer to home rather than farther away!!! Stay alert and prepared. May God be your protection.
Our prayers go with you.
Bob in OKC
Wow, you're making great time! Can't believe how far you've gone since you left Marshalls!
I love keeping track of you via pasting your long/lat into Google.maps, but understand your need for safety and not posting those details all the time.
Dana
Santa Monica, CA
Hi Zac,
It just pisses me off that you can't even be out in the middle of the ocean without having to worry about crime.
I know thats been the case for centuries on the water, it just isn't fair that you have to think about such things, while navigating difficult waters at the same time.
I love the purpose and determination I read in your blogs. As I have said before, so impressive that you are such a unique young kid able to handle such adult things.
Praying daily for your safety and success!
Best,
Peter
Hello Zac
Your progress so far indicates that many prayers have been answered. We now pray that your success will continue. Our pleasure in keeping up with your progress will be unlikely to diminish.
Have you started your antimalarial medication yet. I'm a Viet vet and while in country we were required to take a weekly pill -- don't recall the name of the active ingredient. It was a Monday thing. I never had a problem with the pills and never had malaria either, so I guess it was a good thing. Some of my fellow military guys had problems from mild to severe with intestinal upsets. They started to break the pills up and take it over 4 or 5 days. It seemed to solve the problem. Keep that in mind.
FrogPond
Zac,
Glad for the showers - the kind you can drink from and shower in. Two fine things for sure.
We'll be praying for you as you navigate the Torres Straits and will pray for good wind as you make your way to Darwin. What a great journey so far. We are so proud of you and the role model you are for those young and a bit older. Sail on safely, Zac.
Kathy
Bend, Oregon
Zac,
We all know generally where you are so no big deal. I bet there are places in LA you wouldn't want to broadcast your exact location. I love Dave H's posts. I wouldn't expect Zac to have the time to explain in detail the points that he makes but I am enjoying learning more about sailing from Zac and the zacpack. Funny, I always felt sorry for sail boats at the lake...slow, small, slow, steering all over the place it seemed or just sitting still with no wind. Never really considered packing all of your belongings and crossing an ocean. Having never been on a sailboat of any kind, I am not even an armchair sailor but I am in awe!
Steve
Birmingham, Alabama
Stay safe Dear Friend!
We're all praying for you!
Thomas, Dawn and Rebecca
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